History of the Peoria Civic Center

A coordinated effort for the Peoria Civic Center began to take form in the 1970's under the guidance of community leaders such as Mayor Dick Carver, David Connor and David Leitch. A development plan was created, citing the Peoria Civic Center as the economic engine for downtown revitalization.

August 31, 1976 the Peoria City Council passed the tax laws to make The Peoria Civic Center a reality.

On November 19, 1978 the Jefferson Hotel was imploded to make room for the Peoria Civic Center.

World-renowned architects Philip Johnson and John Burgee designed the Peoria Civic Center. Construction began after the official groundbreaking on April 30, 1979. Lewis J. Burger was the driving force behind the funding, design, construction and initial operation of the facility

The facility featured Exhibit Halls A&B, Meeting rooms 134-218, the Arena and the Theater. The Home and Garden show, held in February 1982 in the exhibit halls, was the first event at the Peoria Civic Center.

The first concert held in the arena was Kenny Rogers on June 7th, 1982.

In 1992 the Peoria Civic Center began a $10 million dollar, 104,000 square-foot expansion.

In 1993 the Peoria Civic Center opened its first expansion, which included Exhibit Hall C and meeting rooms 200-222.

In 2007 the Peoria Civic Center completed a $55 million dollar expansion that included Exhibit Hall D, the Grand Ballroom, The Lexus Club, the Great Hall area and the indoor box office.

The Peoria Civic Center features an 11,330 seat arena, a 2,184-seat theater, 45,000 sq ft of meeting space and 110,000 sq ft of exhibit space. The downtown location is 10 minutes from the Peoria International Airport and has 1,000 hotel rooms within walking distance of the center and over 4,000 hotel rooms nearby. SAVOR…Peoria provides a direct connection to fresh local ingredients and the resources of the world’s leading venue management company, SMG. The facility is only a few blocks away the Riverfront district, museums, live entertainment and unique dining opportunities. Call us at 309- 673-8900 for a tour and let's talk about hosting your next event at the Peoria Civic Center!

The Peoria Civic Center is excited to welcome you to our facility! All of the information you need to have an enjoyable experience with us is right here for you. See the complete list of Peoria Civic Center events here.

TICKETSfor Peoria Civic Center events can be purchased at ticketmaster.com or at the Toyota Box Office at the Peoria Civic Center.

PARKINGat the Peoria Civic Center is convenient with two parking lots located on site the Marquee lot and the Fulton lot. There are also multiple lots throughout downtown Peoria that are available for event parking.

STAYovernight in Peoria! Whether you are here for a one day event or a week-long conference, Peoria has exactly what you are looking for. Enjoyall Peoria has to offer, including two brand new museums, a vibrant arts community, unique dining experiences and multiple shopping centers.

If you have additional questions please contact us in advance and let our staff help make sure you have the best experience possible.